로그인~FIORELLA~I wake up to a dull, steady pounding in my head.Not sharp enough to make me panic, but heavy enough to make me regret every decision I made last night….whatever those decisions were.My eyes refuse to open at first. They feel glued shut, heavy, swollen, like they’ve personally been through something traumatic without informing me.“Ugh…” I groan, my voice dry and scratchy, like I swallowed something very dry in my sleep.Bad sign.A very bad sign.Slowly, painfully, I peel one eye open.Then the other.I squint my eyes, and the ceiling comes into view…familiar. White. Minimal. Mine.I frown slightly.Wait.Mine?My brain takes a second to catch up.And then, I jolt upright and instantly regret it because it's a very big and huge mistake.“Ah!” I clutch my head immediately as a sharp, violent wave of pain crashes through me. “Oh my God….my head….my head….my HEAD…”I squeeze my eyes shut again, breathing through it like I just ran a race.“God…” I mutt
~LUCAS~Her lips crash into mine.And for a second, just a second, it’s soft and uncertain. Like she doesn’t fully know what she’s doing.Like I still have time to stop this.But I don’t.Because the moment I feel her, something in me snaps completely.I kiss her back, not gently, not carefully.But like I’ve been holding something back for far too long without realizing it.My hand tightens instinctively around her waist, pulling her closer, steadying her….but also keeping her there. Her fingers clutch my jacket harder, like I’m the only thing keeping her upright, and maybe I am.Her lips move against mine again, slower this time, warmer… and I feel it everywhere.God.This is wrong.She’s drunk, and I’m not sober enough.This shouldn’t be happening.But none of that matters when she tilts her head slightly, when her breath brushes against my skin, when her body presses closer like she belongs there.Like she fits there.My mind starts to blur at the edges.
~LUCAS~Time passes, but I don’t know how much.The drinks keep coming.She keeps sipping, slow and careful at first, then less careful.I notice it before she does.The slight sway in her stance.The way her words take just a fraction longer to come out.The way her eyes linger a little too long on things.She’s getting drunk.And somehow…So am I.Not completely, but enough.Enough to feel lighter and looser.And that’s when it hits me that she's about to lose her balance.My hand moves before I even think about it, gripping her arm just as she stumbles slightly.Her body leans into mine, softer than I expected, and warmer than I should notice.Yeah.She’s drunk.And there’s no way in hell she realizes how obvious it’s becoming.My eyes flick around the room instinctively.People are starting to loosen up too.Soft music is playing, people swaying slowly, laughter rising, conversations blending into something warmer, messier, louder.There are too many eyes, a
~LUCAS~I don’t realize how long I’ve been standing here…staring at her…until something shifts in my peripheral vision.The corner of my eyes catches a familiar figure watching us, and I know instantly that it's Chloe.My eyes flick toward her instinctively, and sure enough….she’s already looking straight at me.Not subtly either.Her gaze is direct, and intentional.Like she’s been waiting for the exact moment I’d notice.And the second I do…her lips curve slightly.It's an invitation.She wants to come over.I can see it in the way she shifts her weight, the way her fingers tighten around her glass, the way her eyes flick—just briefly—to Fiorella…then back to me.Her eyes are calculating and hesitating because she can't come over.Not while I’m standing here.Not while I’m with her.I exhale slowly, dragging my gaze away from Chloe, but the awareness doesn’t leave.It lingers, and pulls at me.Because normally, I would go over.I’d walk up to her, say somethi
~LUCAS~It feels like I'm staring at Marcella.My chest tightens in a way I don’t like, something sharp and unexpected cutting through my calm as I stare harder, trying to find something—anything—that proves me wrong.But there’s nothing.Nothing.Even the way she holds herself…that quiet dominance, that effortless control, that look in her eyes like the entire room exists beneath her…Marcella.“Lucas?”I blink.Charlotte’s voice snaps me out of it slightly, but not enough.Not nearly enough.Because she’s still there, and I’m still staring.I drag in a slow breath, forcing my body to move again, to walk forward like a normal person, even though nothing about this feels normal anymore.The room is loud—soft jazz humming in the background, glasses clinking, people laughing, but it all fades into a dull, distant noise in my ears.Because somehow, she’s the only thing my brain is registering.Like everything else has blurred out just to make her clearer.And I hat
~FIORELLA~“Oh my goodness! Isn't he so handsome??” Charlotte says.“Who, Charlotte??” I ask.“Over there,” she replies, and nudges me to look toward the direction that she's looking at.And I immediately regret looking, because I see Lucas walking into the dinner party.I quickly scoff and look away.Handsome my foot!“Why the reaction, Fiorella?” Charlotte asks, almost teasing. “Don't you think he's handsome?”“He's not handsome,” I reply bluntly.“Oh my! You must really be blind not to see how handsome he is,” she says freely. “Or is it just your dislike for your new partner that is making you not acknowledge his beauty?”I don't reply her, and I scoff again.But then, I decide to get a good look at him.I look at him…. really look at him.For the first time since I met Lucas, I'm really looking at him now and taking every details, both facially and bodily.At six foot five, he towers above most people. He has black wavy hair that straightens toward the nap
~LUCAS~The box is the first thing I notice when I wake up.It's there…. right where I left it before going to bed last night.Like it knows I haven’t made peace with myself yet.It's pushed neatly against the wall like it hasn’t been silently haunting me all night. Like
~MARCELLA~For a moment, I don’t move.Not because I can’t, but because my body hasn’t caught up with what just happened.Lucas Santis walks away from me like I’m nothing more than noise he’s finally learned to tune out. His steps are fast. Purposeful. He doesn’t look back
~LUCAS~I shouldn't let Marcella distract me, I tell myself.So I sit up straight, clear my throat and take a deep breath.I start listening to Dr. Raymond again, not until her foot nudges mine under the desk again.I stiffen.She leans closer, her voice barely a breath.“Y
~LUCAS~I never expected to see her here. She's the last person I expected to see.The bell above the cafe door chimes, soft and familiar.I don’t look up immediately.The morning rush is easing, but my hands are still moving on autopilot—wipe the counter, adjust the cup







